THE OTHER SIDE. aa

vier.

     SILENCE ENVELOPED the whole beach. the usual sounds of passing cars disappeared and the rush of the ocean waves calmed down to nothing but still water. the moonlight gave everything on its waking path a soft white glow, making the whole scenery serene and exquisite.

     and yet, you could not find anything on the beach remotely peaceful. you were frozen in place, mind clouded and gears running and turning as you try to process what was currently happening and who was in front of you.

     your e/c hues were wide with lips parted, your hands were shaking as you grip your book tightly. knees curled to your chest as you stared at the figure just a few feet away from you. both were shocked and surprised.

     his striking blue eyes were wavering underneath your gaze and he felt exposed. his heart started beating quickly from fear and anxiety. no matter how many times his mind was telling him to get back to the water and hide, he couldn't. he couldn't move his arms nor use his tail, his mind was preoccupied with staring at the human who squinted her eyes and blinked repeatedly while looking at him.

     your eyes wander over his body in curiosity and shock. he had a pale lean body and an enchanting blue mermaid tail where his legs were supposed to be. the color of his tail matched perfectly with his pale skin. you blinked multiple times and rubbed your eyes but the creature in front of you did not disappear like the usual shadows playing with your mind.

     you couldn't believe that a mythical creature that only existed in tales and legends, like mermaids, actually exists.

     or was it just a costume? if so, the male did a pretty good job with making the tail look so... realistic.

     even with the curiosity and wonder running in your veins, it couldn't mask the fear that wavered in your eyes. he appeared so suddenly, like a flash of light from the sky. so, as soon as his tail moved a bit to the right, you quickly stood up with your bag in hand and dashed out off the beach as fast as your legs could, biting back a shrilling scream.

     the mermaid, however, did not move from his spot. he followed your leaving figure and his eyes traveled to your legs, lips parting once more when he realized that humans really didn't have any tails like them and could move freely and faster than his kind could. he read about their anatomy once from another forbidden book, a reason why he knew bits of knowledge about humans. how odd... is that what they call 'walking'?

     he was so curious about humans and their very existence that he even thought of talking to you who just left, just to ask what it was like to be a human. though he knew he shouldn't, and he didn't even have the courage to do so. armin shook his head to remove the shock and other unnecessary thoughts that could possibly cause his death, from the hands of the humans or even his kind.

     it was silent for a minute before he let out a quiet scream just as everything dawned on him, something he should've done earlier. he had shown himself long enough to a human! he was careless and irrational, he didn't even move fast to hide or double-check if there were humans on land before he crawled out. if the other mermaids found out what happened, he'd be dead! or worse, what if the human tells the others of what you saw?

     suppressing a shudder, he crawled back to the water as quickly as he could. he needed to get back immediately; if you told someone else, they'd find out the secret they tried to hide for a hundred years. he was about to dive back in the water when something in the sand caught his eye. he tilted his body and saw the book that you were holding earlier. he looked at it in wonder with a tilt of his head, perhaps you forgot about it or dropped it as you ran away.